The Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha or Feast of Sacrifice which marks the culmination of the Muslim annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca is observed in Iran on Sunday.
During the religious festival, Muslims slaughter livestock and distribute meat among friends, family and the poor. The holiday commemorates Prophet Abraham’s submission to divine order to sacrifice his son, Ismail. However, the knife did not cut Ismail's throat by the order of God and further He provided Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice instead.
Hajj is considered as one of the pillars of Islam and the largest act of mass pilgrimage in the world. The holy pilgrimage is also a demonstration of Muslims’ unity and their submission to Allah.
The major rituals of the Hajj are performed during a five-day period from the 8th through the 12th of month of Dhu al-Hajjah in the Muslim lunar calendar.
On Eid al-Adha, Muslim pilgrims wearing a plain white garment, converge on the Valley of Mina, which is a valley outside the holy city of Mecca, to continue performing the Hajj rituals.
Muslims call the Hajj a unique experience, allowing them to tell the world that all people are equal as human beings. Muslims remember that they are not joined together on the basis of color or race. But they are joined on the basis of belief in God and His messenger.
Millions of Muslims around the world celebrate the auspicious occasion and gather in congregations in the early morning for Eid al-Adha prayers.
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